1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to flooring and more specifically to repairs for damaged vinyl floors.
2. Related Art
Vinyl as a flooring material has become very popular. Many millions of square feet of vinyl flooring are installed every year. Often, after or during installation, the vinyl flooring is damaged by dents, holes, scrapes or scratches. Then, the vinyl flooring needs to be repaired.
Typically, the repair of this damage to vinyl flooring is done by:                Providing an oversized replacement patch that matches the pattern in the damaged area (for example, by cutting from a roll or large sample of the vinyl);        Aligning the patch and taping it in place;        Cutting through both layers with a utility knife along a cutting line determined to surround and not cut through the damaged area;        Removing the patch and peeling up the damaged flooring with a scraper, taking care not to damage the cut edges, and using a heat gun or iron to soften the adhesive, if necessary;        
Applying new flooring adhesive to the newly-cut patch and pressing it in place into the opening created by cutting the damaged flooring from the undamaged vinyl; and
Wiping off any excess adhesive with a damp cloth and covering the patch with a weight for 24 hours.
Preferably, the cut is made along the flooring pattern lines, if any, to make the repair less visible. If it is discovered that the section to be removed isn't attached to the subfloor by adhesive, an attempt to slip some new adhesive underneath the exposed edges of the original vinyl to keep it in place is recommended.
However, whenever this prior art repair technique is practiced, the seam (between the original vinyl and the replaced, repair piece) is noticeable. The seam may be barely noticeable, but it is there nonetheless, and irritating to discriminating homeowners and floor repairmen. The reason for the seam is because typically the cut replacement piece turns out to be slightly smaller than the original damaged piece. Typically, the industry craftsmen have filled this seam with seam sealer or filler. However, it has been a desire in the industry to eliminate this seam space as much as possible.
This imperfect fit may be because the top piece of vinyl is stretched slightly when it is cut with the knife while overlaying the relative soft damaged piece. The damaged piece, on the other hand, is constrained by the supporting floor and is totally and/or substantially bound by an underlying adhesive, so it does not stretch, or stretches less, when cut. After the cut is performed, the replacement piece tends to be slightly smaller than the original damaged piece, leaving a slight seam between the original, undamaged vinyl and the inserted replacement piece.
Alternatively, the imperfect fit may be because, when the semi-elastic replacement patch is cut out from the oversized patch sheet, the replacement patch may tend to contract slightly, that is, the edges of the replacement patch pull inward slightly, which results in a slightly smaller replacement patch than originally intended. Also, when the semi-elastic vinyl material on the floor is cut, the edges around the cut-out damaged piece may tend to contract slightly especially if not totally secured to the floor by adhesive, that is, the edges of vinyl surrounding and defining the opening pulling-back slightly. This would tend to increase the size of the opening in the floor vinyl into which the replacement patch will be placed. Therefore, either the edges of the replacement patch, the edges of the remaining original vinyl, or both, may have retracted in opposite directions, resulting in a small gap between the edges that must be filled and/or hidden.
Thus, whether the imperfect fit occurs due to stretching and subsequent retraction, and/or contraction of edges after they are cut from adjacent vinyl material, the imperfect fit may be attributed to retraction or contraction of the vinyl.
The present invention addresses the need for a closer fit between the inserted replacement vinyl patch piece and the surrounding, original undamaged vinyl, preferably by adapting the method and apparatus for cutting the vinyl patch.